The Longest Wait
by princess2891
Summary: Ron and Hermione have wanted a child for years. What happens when Hermione finally finds out that she's pregnant?


_Author's Note: Hey guys! This one-shot was inspired by seeing the movie The Waitress earlier today-- even though it in no way resembles what happens in the movie! Really it's just the baby aspect that inspired me. I haven't stopped writing my other fic Let Her Cry, I just had to get this story written and out of the way because I'd have serious writer's block if this story was on my mind._

_Oh, the italicized portion of the story means that it's a flashback!_

Hermione stood in the middle of the exquisite bathroom she and Ron shared, examining herself in the large mirror hanging above the sink.

"So this is what I look like when I'm pregnant," she mumbled quietly, dropping the muggle pregnancy test on the countertop and lifting up her shirt to reveal her flat tummy. She imagined what it would look like in the coming months and smiled happily. Running her hand over her tummy, She thought about the life that was quietly growing unnoticeably inside her, the life that she and Ron made together, the life that they had dreamt about for longer than she could remember.

"You're going to be loved more than you can stand," she whispered to the life within. "We've waited quite a long time for you." And that they had. She and Ron had been trying for a baby since they were married, and had wanted children even before then. Seven years that were filled at first with anticipation and confidence soon lead to frustration and heartache. She hated to admit it, but for the past few years she had been resigned to the fact that she and Ron would probably never have children of their own, and so she threw all her extra love and energy into her many nieces and nephews.

She wished that Ron were here with her right now, experiencing this moment of true and complete happiness with her, but at the same time she was glad that he hadn't been there while she took the magic and muggle tests. It was bad enough going through it herself, and she wasn't sure that she would have been able to handle the possibility of breaking Ron's heart if there had been negative results. Because, even though he never let on too much about it, she was sure that he wanted a baby even more than she did. She watched him over the years as he interacted with the Weasley grandchildren, whether it was teaching them how to correctly throw a quaffle, or giving them an especially loud toy that would surely be a favorite of their parents. He was always so happy and carefree when he was spending time with those kids.

Even though they both loved the time they got to share with their nieces and nephews at the Weasley family gatherings, those gatherings also put quite the strain on their relationship. It never failed that Molly would point out the couple's lack of children every time they set foot in her house. Hermione had to remind herself that it wasn't Molly's fault, because she had no idea about the struggle she and Ron were going through; instead she was under the mistaken impression that the couple had no desire for children of their own. Hermione remembered a particularly painful night not too long ago when she and Molly were cleaning up after dinner while the rest of the Weasleys were outside enjoying the cool summer evening:

_"Throw it to meeee, Uncle Ron!" _

_Hermione peered out of the kitchen window to see her husband suppressing laughter at the unmistakable Molly Weasley look his niece was giving him as he contemplated who to throw the quaffle to. She smiled to herself, turning to grab her wand off of the kitchen table and catching Molly watching her._

_"It's great, you know," Molly said, flicking her wand so that the dishes in the sink began washing themselves._

_"I'm sorry?" Hermione replied, unable to catch her meaning._

_"Having children of your own, I mean," Molly clarified, flicking her wand again so that the extra table and chairs in the kitchen vanished._

_"I imagine it is," Hermione answered evenly, hoping against hope that Molly would move on to less painful things to talk about like Gilderoy Lockhart's new book __After St. Mungo's__ or the weather._

_"Hermione dear," Mrs. Weasley began, gesturing for her to take a seat at the table while taking a seat herself. "I know that you're a bright witch, probably even the brightest witch that I've ever met, and that you love your job and that you're good at it. I know that you're good to my son and that you both love each other with all your hearts. I also know that you're both wonderful with all the grandchildren and couldn't love them more. But I don't think you realize how wonderful it is to be a parent. Having a child of your own is one of the most rewarding experiences a person could ask for-"_

_"Molly, please-" Hermione cut in, feeling her eyes fill with unwanted tears._

_"No, let me finish," Molly insisted. "I don't know why you and Ron have decided not to have children, but-"_

_"No Molly," Hermione said angrily, "I have done enough listening over the years. You have said quite enough." She stood up from her chair and headed to the door. "Thank you for dinner."_

_Letting the door close behind her with a snap, she strode across the garden, determinedly not looking at anyone._

_"Hermione!" she heard Ron call out from his broom above her. "Where are you going? Hey, Hermione!"_

_"Home!" she shouted, not bothering to look up at him, not wanting him to see how upset she was, and with a small crack she left the Burrow and reappeared in her wonderfully empty house. She had just lain herself down on the sofa when she heard the loud crack announcing her husband's return._

_She watched him stride into the living room, his hair still windblown from flying at the Burrow. His expression was serious and full of concern, and upon spotting her, he sat on the floor in front of the sofa. "What happened?" he asked simply._

_She felt the tears slide across the bridge of her nose and fall steadily against the sofa cushion. "Your mum, she thinks I don't want a baby because of my j-job."_

_Ron's hand grabbed hers and squeezed it reassuringly. "She just doesn't know," he said quietly, brushing the hair out of her face. _

_"Yes, well she hates me," she murmured._

_"Hermione, you know that's not true," he said soothingly, his hands still running through her hair._

_"She thinks I'm selfish," she persisted, sitting up and wiping her cheeks with the backs of her hands. "But I bet she'd hate me more if she knew the real reason why we don't have any babies!"_

_"And why is that?" he asked, his tone noticeably steady._

_"Because I'm barren! I'm not even thirty and I'm already all dried up and never going to have a baby! She'd hate me if she knew! I'm sure you hate me even if you don't show it!"_

_For the first time she noticed anger in Ron's eyes, and this time he spoke with less control over his tone. "I never want to hear you say that again! There is never a day that I'm not thankful that you're my wife. You know I love you and you know that none of this is your fault!"_

_"But what if it is? What if the reason we don't have any children is because of me? Why can't we go see a muggle doctor about this, Ron? You know that-"_

_"I'm not going to go see a muggle about this, Hermione! We've been through this before! That's just mad!" he said, standing up and crossing his hands over his chest._

_"It works for muggles all the time!" she continued, standing up as well._

_"Witches and wizards don't do that sort of thing-"_

_Hermione didn't bother to listen to what more he had to say. She turned and walked into their bedroom and closed the door behind herself without a word._

Hermione frowned when she thought about the week following that fight. She had refused to speak one word to him and brought him close to tears when he left on a three day auror mission and she wouldn't even say goodbye to him. That was not one of her proudest moments. It's funny how something two people commonly desire so much could drive them apart when what they needed the most was each other.

"But now we have you," she murmured, patting her tummy. All that was left to do now was to tell the daddy-to-be. She wouldn't get a chance to be alone with him until after dinner since she was meeting him at the Burrow after he finished with work, so she would have quite a secret to bear for a while.

A little while later Hermione was greeted by a miniature Weasley as soon as she entered the Burrow door.

"Aunt 'Mione!" squealed the little one, thrusting a book in the air. "Please read this one!"

Hermione laughed and scooped up the little girl, casting George a humorous look.

"I don't know how we got such a bookworm!" he said, chuckling at the sight of his daughter happily cradling the storybook in her arms.

"We all know she didn't get it from you!" she heard a familiar voice say teasingly. She turned to see Ron standing in the kitchen doorway, cradling the newest addition to the Weasley grandchildren carefully in his arms. The sight of him with that little baby thrilled her and she couldn't help but think about how he would soon be standing there holding their own child like that. Her eyes filled with unexpected tears as she stood there looking at her wonderful husband.

"Are you okay?" Ron asked her seriously, studying her expression with a frown and walking toward her.

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak to him for fear that she'd burst into happy tears that she would be unable to explain.

"I was just about to go put him upstairs in Gin's room while we ate if you want to come with me," he said, giving her a curious look.

She nodded again silently, then placed little Jane in George's lap. "I'll read to you later, okay?" she whispered and turned to follow Ron silently up to Ginny's old room.

Her heart raced as they clambered up the stairs. A million thoughts crossed her mind and she wondered exactly how Ron would react when she shared her news with him.

Hermione watched with deepest adoration as Ron carefully placed the baby in the crib that had been set up in Ginny's old room long ago when the first Weasley grandchild was born. She ran her hand along the cool wood of the crib, thinking about her own child that would soon rest peacefully in this crib during those gatherings at the Burrow.

Ron placed a blanket over the sleeping baby then turned to look at his wife. "Now, tell me what the matter is."

Hermione pulled out her wand and cast a charm over the crib so that the baby would not be disturbed by their noise. "There's nothing wrong," she replied truthfully, her heart hammering. She had been waiting seven long years to be able to give him news like what she was about to share.

He searched her eyes carefully and disbelievingly. "Something must be. You were giving me quite a look downstairs."

"I didn't mean- it was a happy look!" she insisted.

"Oh yeah?" he said, chuckling slightly.

"Yeah!" she answered, placing her hands on her hips.

"So now you're giving me sappy, tear-filled looks when you're happy?" he asked, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her close. "I'll never figure you out, woman!"

She smiled up at him and said, "You'd think after seven years you'd have me a little figured out."

"You're telling me!" he said, leaning down and kissing her lovingly. "Now is there some reason that you've gone all barmy on me?"

"I'm not barmy!" she said, poking him hard in the chest. "But yes, there is something I want to tell you."

"I'm all ears," he replied, smiling down at her and squeezing her tightly.

Her heart raced as she struggled to find the exact words she wanted to say. Seven years of dreaming about this and she still didn't know how to say it. "I love you and I love watching you with all the kids. You're so good with them and you always have been. And I know you're going to be the best daddy for our little one." She grabbed his hand and placed it on her tummy, looking up at him to see his expression.

She watched him look down to where their hands were clasped over her tummy then up into her eyes, a look of disbelief on his face. "You're-" he croaked, searching her eyes.

"I'm pregnant, yes," she replied, grinning at his stunned expression.

"You're pregnant," he repeated, and she noticed tears in his beautiful blue eyes.

"Now you're just as barmy," Hermione said, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning up to kiss him lightly.

Ron laughed loudly. "What a pair we are! What a lucky pair!" he said, lifting her off of her feet and kissing her hard. "You know you've just made me the happiest man in the world. I love you."

She wrapped her legs around his waist and said, "I love you too." And in the moment, Hermione knew that despite all that they had been through together to get to this point, there were no two luckier people in the world.

_Ok, now that I've gotten that one out of my mind, I can get back to work on my main fic. Thanks for reading, and reviews are greatly appreciated!_


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